Gamma Phi Beta was founded by four collegiate women seeking support in a world that made them feel set apart because of their gender. Little did Helen, Frances, Adeline and Mary know that Gamma Phi Beta would become the first "sorority" and a home to many. 142 years ago these four women founded the organization that has impacted and changed the lives of over 200,000 sisters.
I know this, because it has changed my life.
There are currently 138 chapters of Gamma Phi Beta all over the United States and even in Canada. I have the privilege of being a member of the Zeta Phi chapter at the University of Arkansas Fort Smith. As a senior, I have seen members go and many more members come to join our sisterhood. While it is bitter sweet seeing members graduate and move on, there is something so special about welcoming new members into our sisterhood. We get to share the values and rituals with them that make them a Gamma Phi Beta.
I can still remember when I got my bid and was so excited to dive into everything Gamma Phi Beta was. I was so excited to become a part of it, still clueless to the fact of the matter that soon it would become a part of me. As a new member, I was already getting very involved. I experienced a lot of encouragement from other sisters and also gave a lot of encouragement and support. I felt constant love from those I shared this sisterhood with. I had members in the chapter that I looked up to and really respected because they really embodied what it meant to be a Gamma Phi Beta.
What does that mean, you ask? To be a Gamma Phi Beta means more than just being in the sorority. It means to always promote the highest type of womanhood in your everyday life. It means to stand up for what you believe in and to not be swayed by others opinions. To present yourself well and to hold yourself to the highest standard. Someone who embodies that of a Gamma Phi Beta, holds our four core values to the highest importance. We value the love and respect we have for one another and ourselves. We value learning, academic achievement, and lifelong personal growth. We value labor and service to to others. We value loyalty to one another and to our values. These core values are those in which we strive to live out each day.
Since being a member of Gamma Phi Beta, I have tried to uphold the highest type of womanhood in everything that I do. Being in this sorority means much more than the socials, formals, and cute shirts. This sorority is about having a friend and being a friend in times of need. This sorority is about feeling support and giving support. This sorority is about becoming a leader and teaching others how to lead. Gamma Phi Beta is about give and take. While you will find support, encouragement and a friend, you must then in turn be that to those around you.
Above all else, to me, this sorority is about finding the best version of yourself and helping your sisters do the same.
Gamma Phi Beta assisted me in finding out who I truly am. I have experienced the true meaning of friendship. I have learned how to be a leader. I understand the importance of integrity, responsibility, compassion, trustworthiness, and accountability. I know the way in which I want to carry myself and be perceived. I know what I stand for and what I will not stand behind. I have now learned to speak my mind regardless of what comes next. I understand the importance of being a role model to those around you, not just those that are younger. Being a member of Gamma Phi Beta has taught me how to not only be a strong women but how to build one.
I will forever be grateful for Gamma Phi Beta and the lifelong impact that I know that it will have on my life, as well as many others. I thank the four founders who began this organization that helped me become who I am today. I thank the women who came before me that continued the work and I pray for those that come next. May your time in Gamma Phi Beta be as significant in your life as it has been in mine.
Happy Founder's Day Gamma Phi Beta, here is to another 142 years of becoming strong women and building strong girls.
In IIKE,
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